The 10 greatest defensive players in the history of the Broncos

On Monday, the Broncos traded Von Miller to the Rams. The linebacker is arguably the greatest defensive player in the history of the franchise.

He certainly has the resume for it. Miller is the team’s all-time leader in career sacks with 110.5. He won MVP honors in Super Bowl 50. And he’s been a major part of good defenses for more than a decade.

But Denver has seen a lot of great defensive players. In the early days of the franchise, that was about all they had. And when the team finally turned the corner, it was on the back of the “Orange Crush” defense.

The competition is strong. There are a lot of good options.

Looking back on our “Sixty Since ’60” series, which highlighted the 60 greatest players in the history of the franchise, here are the top-10 defenders on the list.

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10. Billy Thompson | S / CB | 1969-81

After being selected with a third-round pick in the 1969 NFL Draft out of tiny Maryland-Eastern Shore, Thompson made an immediate impact with the Broncos. In his rookie season, he started from day one, lining up at cornerback for all 14 games. During that initial campaign, Thompson proved to have a nose for the football, picking off three passes and recovering three fumbles; he also returned one interception for a score.

In addition, the rookie demonstrated playmaking abilities on special teams. During that 1969 season, he led the league in both punt return average (11.5 yards) and kick return average (28.5).

This trend continued for each of Thompson’s first four years in Denver. As the team’s starting cornerback on the right side, he intercepted 11 passes in 45 games, proving to be a very effective shutdown defender on a team that boasted a good defense and not much else. And as the team’s primary punt and kick returner, he consistently helped stake the Broncos offense to better field position by being among the league’s best on special teams.

While Thompson career was going well up until that point, it wasn’t garnering a lot of attention around the league. In part this was because Denver was a perennial cellar dweller. Both of those things started to change in 1973.

That year, defensive coordinator Joe Collier decided to move Thompson to safety, allowing him to use his speed to blanket the defensive backfield. It proved to be an immediate success, with BT intercepting three passes and the Broncos defense carrying the franchise to their first-ever winning season.

By 1977, that group was among the most dominant in NFL history. The Orange Crush led the team to the Super Bowl, with Thompson playing a key role. He intercepted five passes, was named first-team All-Pro and received his first Pro Bowl invite.

During the final five seasons of his career, Thompson never missed a beat. The veteran safety picked of 19 passes and made three Pro Bowls, including in his final year. From start to finish, BT played at a high level, earning himself a spot in the franchise’s Ring of Fame after an illustrious 13-year career.

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9. Tom Jackson | LB | 1973-86

There’s little debate when the Broncos became a respectable franchise. After 13 consecutive losing seasons, including 10 in the AFL that made them the only team in the league’s history not to post a winning season, Denver finally finished with an above .500 record in 1973. Since then, they’ve been among the most-successful organizations in professional football.

Head coach John Ralston gets a lot of credit for the turnaround, as his “power of positive thinking” approach started to pay dividends. Defensive coordinator Joe Collier also receives a lot of kudos, as it was his defense that ultimately paved the way to most of the Broncos victories in the 1970s. But the transformation can also be traced to the arrival of a trash-talking linebacker from the University of Louisville.

Tom Jackson came to Denver as a fourth-round pick in ’73. By his second season in the Mile High City, he was a full-time starter on Collier’s defense. And he quickly became the player who gave the group its swagger. While there was plenty of talent on that side of the ball, they didn’t become dominant until Jackson inspired them through his play, chatter and actions.

This was never more evident that in the Broncos locker room after the beat the Raiders in the 1977 AFC Championship Game. While Jackson telling John Madden, “It’s all over fat man” toward the end of the game got most of the attention, his “Do they believe now?” rant to the media was more telling; it proved that he knew how good Denver’s defense was and it was only a matter of time before everyone else realized it, too.

That win came a week after Jackson helped the Broncos win their first-ever playoff game, picking off Terry Bradshaw twice in Denver’s 34-21 victory over Pittsburgh at Mile High Stadium.

Before a team can make the leap from bad to mediocre, and from mediocre to great, they need someone to believe in their abilities. A rah-rah coach helps, but it only goes so far. Instead, a player who can talk the talk and walk the walk is much more likely to inspire his teammates to reach new heights. In the history of the Broncos, no player has done that in more dramatic fashion than Tom Jackson.

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8. Simon Fletcher | LB / DE | 1985-95

When Von Miller recorded a sack last December against the Browns, the pass rusher moved into first place on the Broncos all-time list. The linebacker moved 0.5 sacks ahead of the previous record holder, a player who got after the quarterback for 11 dazzling seasons in Denver – Simon Fletcher.

Early in his career, it didn’t appear as though the second-round pick out of Houston would do much of anything in the orange and blue. As a rookie in 1985, Fletcher contributed little, recording just one sack and 17 total tackles while playing sparingly. The next season, he didn’t see much more action, but his numbers did improve; that year, Fletcher had 5.5 to help the Broncos reach Super Bowl XXI.

But the linebacker didn’t really hit his stride until 1988. During his fourth season in the NFL, Fletcher blossomed, starting all 16 games and becoming one of the best pass rushers in the business. Across the next six years, few were better at harassing opposing quarterbacks.

From 1988-93, Fletcher started in all 96 games that the Broncos played; in those contests, he chalked up 75 sacks, a per-game pace that puts him on pace with some of the best to ever play in the NFL. Amazingly, the linebacker didn’t receive a single invite to the Pro Bowl, even when he posted a career-high 16.0 sacks and forcing five fumbles in 1992.

At the time, the franchise was appalled by the oversight; they couldn’t believe that Fletcher wasn’t receiving the recognition he deserved. In part, this was due to the fact that his position on the field was difficult to define. While technically listed as a linebacker on the roster, he often lined up more like a defensive end. In essence, he was the precursor to today’s “edge” rusher.

The ironic part of Denver’s complaints about Fletcher is that the organization essentially did the same thing after his retirement that they accused the league of doing during his playing days. It took years for Fletcher to finally be inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame, something that should’ve been a no-brainer for the franchise’s best pass rusher before a guy named Von Miller came along.

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7. Dennis Smith | S | 1981-94

Smith had a tough assignment when he arrived in Denver, having to replace an all-time legend in the Broncos defensive backfield in Billy Thompson. Throw in the fact that he was a first-round pick, from Southern California, and the pressure was on; people in the Mile High City were just waiting for him to fail.

He didn’t. In fact, he answered all of the naysayers by proving to be an upgrade over any safety in the history of the franchise. As good as players like Thompson, Goose Gonsoulin, Steve Foley and others had been, they didn’t possess the one trait that set Smith apart; he was a ferocious hitter.

This attribute helped transform the way the Broncos played defense. For nearly a decade, they had been a “cerebral” team under the guidance of defensive mastermind Joe Collier. Now, they were also a franchise that could dish out some punishment, in the same vein as some of the league’s all-time best defenses.

During the first half of his career, Smith patrolled the secondary alone, serving as the lone hitman. Along the way, he posted some impressive numbers, hauling in 15 interceptions, recording 13.0 sacks and racking up a ton of tackles; in fact, he led the league in tackles in 1983 when he chalked up 114, a eye-popping number for a safety. Along the way, he earned a pair of Pro Bowl invites.

In his final years in Denver, Smith had a partner in crime. When Steve Atwater arrived in 1989, the duo combined to form one of the most-intimidating safety pairings in NFL history. During their first five years together, Smith hauled in another 15 interceptions and earned four more Pro Bowl invites. Butch Cassidy benefited from having The Sundance Kid around.

During his 14 season in a Broncos uniform, Smith established himself as one of the best safeties to ever play the game. He’s sixth in franchise history in career interceptions (30), fifth in games played (184) and third in fumble recoveries (17). Not surprisingly, he’s a member of the team’s Ring of Fame.

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6. Steve Atwater | S | 1989-98

When it comes to the defining moment of Atwater’s career, most people will gravitate toward a play that has been seen over and over thanks to NFL Films. It’s a signature play in league history.

For a “Monday Night Football” match-up between the Broncos and Chiefs in 1990, the hard-hitting, second-year safety was mic’d up for a showdown with Kansas City’s bruising running back, Christian Okoye. No one had been able to slow down “The Nigerian Nightmare” up until that point, something that came to an end in one classic moment.

Okoye took a handoff, ran toward the line of scrimmage and was met by Atwater. The safety knocked the runner backwards, generating oohs and aahs from teammates and fans alike. It was the football equivalent of Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson, as Okoye was never the same player after that hit.

That came two games into Atwater’s second season in Denver. But his other defining moment came in the final game of his second-to-last season with the team. With 36 seconds to play in Super Bowl XXXII, and the Broncos clinging to a 31-24 lead over the Packers, Atwater threw caution to the wind in order to break up Brett Favre’s third-down pass; the safety launched himself into intended receiver Robert Brooks, knocking out the Green Bay wideout, teammate Randy Hilliard and himself in the process. It was quintessential Atwater, doing everything he had to in order to make the play, typically via a big hit.

Throughout his time in Denver, the safety made that kind of an impact. As a rookie, he helped the Broncos become the No. 1 defense in the NFL, powering them to their third Super Bowl appearance in four years. And during his last two seasons in the Mile High City, he was part of an opportunistic defense that helped the team win back-to-back championships.

It’s all part of a résumé that is worthy of induction in Canton. During his 10 years in a Broncos uniform, Atwater was selected to eight Pro Bowls, named first-team All-Pro twice and selected to the first-team All-1990s squad. He’s a Ring of Fame member, but deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as well.

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5. Karl Mecklenburg | LB / DE | 1983-94

Few players in Broncos history have been more versatile than Mecklenburg. During his 12-year career in Denver, he lined up at seven different positions on defense, playing everywhere on the d-line and each linebacker position.

He was a jack-of-all-trades who gave Joe Collier, and then Wade Phillips, all kind of options, as the Broncos defensive coordinators moved him from play to play to cause confusion and wreck havoc. And by and large, it worked to perfection, as Denver’s defense was a key ingredient in leading the team to three Super Bowl appearances during Mecklenburg’s tenure.

That said, it initially took some time for Collier to figure out how to put the linebacker out of Minnesota to the best use. Not blessed with blazing speed or exceptional size, Mecklenburg was a bit of a “tweener,” meaning most thought he wasn’t fast enough to play linebacker or big enough to play in the trenches. It’s the main reason why he fell to the 12th round of the 1983 NFL Draft.

In 1984, however, it finally started to fall in place. The Broncos lined Mecklenburg up at various positions, allowing him to pick off a pair of passes and record 7.0 sacks as a backup player. He also delivered a crushing hit on Raiders running back Marcus Allen that got everyone’s attention; the moment earned a mention in that week’s Sports Illustrated, as it helped propel Denver to a crucial win in a battle for supremacy in the AFC West.

By the next season, Mecklenburg blossomed into a full-fledged star. As more of an every-down player, the linebacker posted a career-high 13.0 sacks and forced five fumbles, earning his first Pro Bowl invite and first-team All-Pro honors. It was the start of a great run, where Mecklenburg was a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro, putting him in rarified air amongst Broncos defensive players.

Mecklenburg’s career numbers are staggering. He’s third on the franchise’s all-time list for sacks (73), forced fumbles (16) and fumble recoveries (14). He’s also second in solo tackles (1,152) and had five interceptions during his career. For the type of all-around greatness, Mecklenburg was selected to the team’s Ring of Fame. He also should be a legitimate consideration for enshrinement in Canton.

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4. Rich Jackson | DE | 1967-72

Great careers are often cut short by injury. Such was the case for Rich “Tombstone” Jackson, a player once deemed by legendary NFL writer Paul Zimmerman to be worthy of the Sports Illustrated scribe’s repeated nomination for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Dr. Z gushed about Jackson, repeatedly referring to him as one of the best pass-rushing defensive ends he ever saw.

While short, it was a career that almost never came to be. After a college career that saw him excel in both football and track, Jackson bounced around a bit. He played a season in Oakland, but the Raiders tried to make him a linebacker. Then, at the age of 26 and running out of chances, he arrived in Denver and was moved to defensive end. From there, he blossomed.

Though sacks weren’t an official NFL stat until 1982, the unofficial record books show that Jackson dominated for a three-year period from 1968-70 unlike few in pro football history. Playing just a 14-game season, he recorded 10, 11 and 10 sacks during those seasons, respectively. He earned a Pro Bowl invite at the end of each season, as well as first-team All-Pro honors. In 1970, that meant Jackson was first-team All-NFL, a huge accomplishment for him and the franchise in the first season after the merger.

But it wasn’t just his numbers and production that made Jackson special; it was also the fact that he was the Broncos enforcer. As a franchise that had been pushed around since its inception in 1960, the team needed someone willing to fight back; they found it in “Tombstone.”

Known for his signature “head slap,” the defensive end would torment opposing offensive linemen. And if anyone gave his teammates a hard time, he’d move down the d-line for a play, send a message and set things straight. Lyle Alzado loved to regale people with the story of Jackson breaking the helmet of Packers offensive lineman Bill Hayhoe when the Green Bay tackle was getting a little lippy.

A knee injury midway through the ’71 season ended Jackson’s run of dominance. But his healthy seasons in Denver were something special. In a long line of Broncos who have been overlooked for induction in Canton, Jackson is perhaps atop the list.

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3. Randy Gradishar | LB | 1974-83

When football think about great inside linebackers from the NFL’s rough-and-tumble glory days, images of Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke and Jack Lambert probably pop into their minds. Those men toiled in the middle for classic franchises and were immortalized by NFL Films. But among those who played and covered the game in the 1970s and ’80s, Gradishar was the player who patrolled the middle of a defense as well as any in the game.

For a decade, the Broncos first-round pick in 1974 was a tackling machine, recording 2,049 during his illustrious 10-year career. That’s an average of more than 200 per season, a staggering number. But that was only part of Gradishar’s game.

He was also the field general for Joe Collier’s “Orange Crush” defense, running the show from the middle of the defensive coordinator’s innovative 3-4 alignment. He had tremendous instincts, evidenced by his ability to meet runners in the hole on goal line situations. He had tremendous range, able to play sideline to sideline in an era when that terminology wasn’t en vogue. And he was great in coverage, proven by his 20 career interceptions.

Gradishar came to the Broncos after a tremendous career at Ohio State, where he finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting as a senior. He stepped right in and contributed from day one, eventually helping Denver’s defense become among the best in the league. During his second season, Gradishar earned a Pro Bowl invite, something he’d receive seven times in 10 years.

By 1977, the linebacker was an elite player. That season, when the Broncos reached the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, Gradishar was voted first-team All-Pro and selected as the AFC Defensive Player of the Year. In ’78, he was even better, earning the NFL’s award as the top defender.

What was perhaps most impressive about Gradishar, however, was how his game never tapered off. He was a Pro Bowl player during his final three seasons and in a crucial game at the end of his last year, the linebacker was as good as ever; in Week 12, Gradishar recorded 15 tackles, picked off a pass, recovered a fumble and recorded a sack in a crucial win over the Seahawks.

For a decade, Gradishar was arguably the best inside linebacker in the NFL. He wasn’t flashy. He didn’t talk a lot. And he didn’t take cheap shots that were glorified by the media of the day. But he was productive to the nth degree, putting up numbers that are comparable to any to ever play his position.

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2. Champ Bailey | CB | 2004-13

After five great seasons in Washington, where Bailey earned four trips to the Pro Bowl with the Redskins, the cornerback was sent to Denver in one of the biggest blockbuster trades in NFL history. The centerpiece of the deal from the Broncos side was Clinton Portis, a running back who had eclipsed the 1,500-yard mark in each of his first two seasons in the league. It wound up a steep, but worthwhile price to pay.

As good as Bailey had been in D.C., he was even better in the Mile High City. During his first three seasons in a Broncos uniform, he wasn’t just a Pro Bowl player; he was a first-team All-Pro, giving Denver a shutdown corner unlike the franchise had ever seen. In 2005, Bailey helped the Broncos reach the AFC title game, hauling in eight interceptions during the regular season and another memorable one, which went 100 yards the other way against the Patriots, in the playoffs.

That said, 2006 might’ve been Bailey’s finest as a pro, and was arguably the best year ever turned in by a Broncos defensive back. That season, the cornerback hauled in an NFL-high 10 interceptions, while also recovering a fumble and recording 85 combined tackles.

It’s perhaps that final stat that separates Bailey from other great corners. Fellow Hall of Fame members like Deion Sanders were equally as good in pass coverage, but few were willing and able to tackle like the Broncos great. He wasn’t just a cover guy; he was a football player who was willing to come up and make a play in the open field.

During his decade in Denver, Bailey picked off 34 passes, returning three for touchdowns. He also forced five fumbles and had 203 passes defensed. But it was his 522 solo tackles that made him special; the Broncos could essentially turn one side of the field completely over to Bailey, knowing he’d cover anyone who came his way, as well as tackle any back who ran that direction.

In 10 seasons as a Bronco, Bailey was a seven-time Pro Bowl invite and three-time All-Pro. He’s been inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame and will be enshrined in Canton in August.

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To see the rest of the Sixty Since 60 list, CLICK HERE

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1. Von Miller | LB | 2011-2021

On Feb. 7, 2016, fans witnessed the greatest defensive performance ever recorded by a Broncos player. That’s high praise considering that the franchise once boasted a defense that surrendered just 148 points in the entire 1977 season. But that’s how good Miller was on the game’s biggest stage.

In Super Bowl 50, the Broncos linebacker established himself as one of the league’s all-time best defensive players. That day, he led Denver to a victory over Carolina by dominating a game unlike few defensive players ever have. By game’s end, he had recorded 2.5 sacks, six tackles, two quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and one pass defensed. It was those last two stats that best illustrate his impact.

Yes, sacking Cam Newton that day was important. But one of those led to a fumble that turned into the first touchdown of the game, when teammate Malik Jackson scooped up the ball to put the Broncos up 10-0. And the second iced the game, when T.J. Ward recovered the fumble deep in Panthers territory to set up Denver’s clinching touchdown. Meanwhile, Miller was also covering receivers down the field, making a play that most cornerbacks would envy to break up a play pass that would’ve put Carolina in prime position to score.

Miller is far from a one-hit wonder, however. Not only did he turn in the best single-game performance ever by a Denver defender, earning MVP honors for his efforts in Super Bowl 50, he’s also the best defensive player to ever don the orange and blue. During his eight seasons as a Pro, Miller has earned seven Pro Bowl invites, only missing out in 2013 when a knee injury ended his season after nine games. He’s also been a first-team All-Pro three times and has already etched his name atop the franchise’s all-time list for sacks.

The linebacker doesn’t have more to prove during whatever remains in his career. If he never played another down, he’d already be destined for the team’s Ring of Fame and bound for Canton. Now, he’s simply separating himself from the pack, reinforcing his place as the greatest defensive player in Broncos history.

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